Tree caliper



Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 23,1935, Serial No. 37,593 In Great Britain June 2, 1934 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to tree calipers, which, as their nameimplies, are calipers of large size for measuring the diameters oftrees. Usually such calipers comprise an arm xed at right angles to aslide rod graduated in inches, and a co-operating arm extending parallelto the fixed arm and slidable along the rod. The instrument is appliedto a tree with the arms on opposite sides thereof and the sliding arm ismoved towards the fixed arm until both arms touch diametrically oppositepoints of the tree trunk. The diameter is then read oli on the graduatedrod.

g Hitherto, in taking stock of timber` in a forest,

z it is usual for the person operating the calipers to be accompanied byanother person who makes a writtenrecord of the number of trees measuredof each different diameter. The object of this invention is to eliminatethe need for such an additional person and this is accomplished byproviding the calipers with means for registering the individual numberof trees measured of various sizes. The instrument may also includemeans for registering the total number of trees measured of all sizes.

The combined tree calipers and registering device comprises the usualfixed arm, slide rod, and sliding arm, but in accordance with thisinvention it may also comprise a series of counting devices allocatedrespectively to a number of diierent diameters, and means operable whenthe movable arm of the calipers is set to a particular diameter, tooperate the counting device allocated to said diameter. Thus, instead ofthe slideV rod being graduated in inches or other units it may haveembodied therein at inch, or other unit distances, a series oimechanical counting devices, and the movable arm may have associatedtherewith an operating member which is adapted, when operated by theperson using the calipers, selectively to operate the mechanicalcounting devices in accordance with the distance between the fixed andmovable arms of the calipers.

As will be readily appreciated, with the above device a single personcan continue applying the calipers to trees, and after every setting hemerely actuates the operating member of the sliding arm so as to advanceby one unit the corresponding counting device. Consequently at any timeit is only necessary to inspect the counting devices in order toascertain the numbers of trees of various diameters which have beenmeasured, without the aid of any Written record.

Preferably also the device comprises an additional counter for totallingthe aggregate number of trees measured. This counter is automaticallyoperated every time the operating member of the individual counters isactuated and its reading serves as a check on the individual sizecounters.

The invention is illustrated by way of example only, in the-accompanyingdrawing, in Which:-

Figure 1 is a general view of one construction of calipers according tothe invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail View showing the mechanism of the slidingarm.

Figure 3 is a side View corresponding to part of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows one of the counters externally to an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the counter with the upper cover plateremoved.

Figure 6 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 5, but with the numeraldiscs and other parts removed for the sake of clearness, and

Figure 7 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing, the calipers comprise a slidefrod I carrying afixed arm 2 at right angles and a sliding arm 3 also at right angles.The slide rod I is of rectangular cross section and of skeletonconstruction, and contains a series of mechanical counting devices 4side by side at therequired distance of one inch or other unit distanceapart. The arms 2 and 3 are also of skeleton construction, the sliding'arm 3 being provided with rollers 5 to engage the upper and lower'edgesof the slide rod I to facilitate its movements along rod Along its loweredge the rod I has a series of holes 6 corresponding to the variouscounting devices 4, through which may enter a rod or plunger l or 8carried by the sliding arm 3 and adapted to be projected into one orother of the holes 6 when pressure is applied to its operating head 9 orI0.

The counters 4 are covered over with Celluloid or like transparentmaterial and held in position by an apertured cover plate I I, havingapertures |00, |0|, |02, |03, |04, |05, |06, |01, |08, |09, and I I0,While the plungers 'I and 8 are normally held clear of the lower edge ofthe slide rod, by suitable springs surrounding their stems.

In addition to the operating mechanism for the counters 4 the slide arm3 also carries mechanism for clamping it to the rod in positions inwhich the rods or plungers 'I and8 register with a pair of adjacentopenings E, so that the corresponding counter 4 is actuated when themember 9 or I0 is operated, since it will be obvious that the counters 4can only be operated when the sliding arm 3 is at a distance from thearm 2 which is an exact multiple of the unit distance. This mechanismcomprises a spring pressed plunger I2 movable in a bore of the arm 3,said plunger I2 having a pin I3 projecting laterally through a slot inthe arm 3 and engaging with an operating lever I4 pivoted to the arm 3at I5. The said lever I4 has a handle portion I6 located against theinner side of arm 3, which when drawn by the nger towards the arm 3draws the plunger I2 in the upward direction.

The lower end of the plunger I2 is conical and adapted to engage withone or other of a number of conical recesses I1 along the upper edge ofthe slide rod I, which are so located that when the plunger I2 isengaged with a recess I1, the plungers 1 and 8 register with a pair ofadjacent holes 6.

Further, as a check on the registration effected by the individualcounters 4 the calipers include an aggregate counter I8 carried by thehead of the sliding arm 3, which is automatically operated each time oneor other of the plungers 1 or 8 is operated. If the counters 4 are threefigure counters the counter I8 may, for example, be a four figurecounter, and its indicated number should at all times equal the totalsof the indications of the counters 4, thus indicating the total numberof trees measured independent of their individual sizes. This counter I8is operated by a plunger or rod I9 having an operating head 20 which islocated behind and between the two operating heads 9 and I0, so thatwhen either of them is pressed in, it engages with the head 20 andoperates the counter IB.

By the side of the counter I8 the upper plate of the head of the arm 3has a rectangular opening 49 exposing the counters 4, and along theupper edge of the opening is an indicating mark 40' to show the size ofa tree being measured, the counters 4 being for this purposeconsecutively numbered from left to right, 4', 5', 6', 1', B', I2', I3',and I4'. If however, the tree is not an exact number of units in sizethe indicating mark will come between a pair of adjacent counters. If itcomes less than half way between them the operating member 9 is pressed,or if over half way the operating member I0 is pressed so that the treeis measured under the nearest unit size. The mechanical counting devices4 and IB may be of any known construction adapted to register up to anydesired maximum number. Thus if equipped with three number discs forunits, tens, and hundreds respectively, each counter 4 will register upto a total of 999, while if the counter IB has four discs it willregister up to a total of 9,999.

In a convenient form of counter 4 according to the invention there maybe, as illustrated by Figures 4 to 7, three number discs 2I mounted onaxis pins projecting from a rectangular base plate 22, a cover plate 23having inspection openings 24 being mounted over the several discs 2|.

Below the units number disc 2| and in one therewith is a ten-toothedratchet wheel 25 with which co-operates a spring pressed pawl 26preventing rearward movement of the ratchet Wheel, but allowing forwardmovement. Below the tens and hundreds discs 2I and in one therewith areten-toothed cog wheels 21, 28 respectively, with which cooperate springpressed retaining pawls 29 and 30.

For operating the units counter the device comprises a member 3I slidingbeneath a guide bar 32, said member 3I having an arm 33 which can engagethe ratchet wheel 25 of the counter, so that every time the slidingmember 3I is pressed in against the action of spring 34 the unitscounter is rotated by one step, whereafter the sliding member 3| returnsto its normal position under the action of the spring 34. Above theratchet wheel 25 is provided a single tooth 35 which once in eachrevolution of the units disc 2l, i. e. after ten steps thereof, engageswith the cog wheel 21 of the tens counter and advances it one step. Asimilar single tooth 3B is provided for driving the hundreds counterfrom the tens counter.

In the case of a four iigure counter, such as I8, it is only necessaryto provide a single tooth on the spindle of the hundreds counterco-operating with a ten-toothed cog wheel on an additional spindlecarrying a "thousands indicating disc, a retaining pawl being of coursealso provided.

The manner of using the calipers will be clearly apparent from Figure l.The lever handle I6 is pressed towards arm 3 so that the arm can freelyslide along the rod I. The arm 2 is then applied against the side of atree and the arm 3 slidden along the rod I until it contacts with theother side of the tree. If the tree is an exact number of inches indiameter the lever I4, I6 can then operate when released to clamp thearm 3 to the rod I, whereafter the operating member IIJ is pressed. Ifthe tree is of a. diameter which is not an exact number of units thelever I4, I6 cannot move, but the position of the indicating mark ofopening between adjacent counters is noted, so that when the arm 3 ismoved `outwards until the lever I6 can move to clamp the arm 3 to therod I, the appropriate operating member 9 or I0 may be operated, asexplained above, according as the actual size of the tree is nearest tothat pertaining to the counter to the left of, or beneath the indicatingmark in the position in which the arm 3 has been clamped to the rod I.

Although the invention has been primarily devised for measuring treetrunks and indicating the numbers measured of each different diameter,yet the device may obviously be used for any purpose for which it may befound useful. For example, it may be used, or adapted for use, formeasuring and indicating stocks of cut timber, or stocks of machineshafting, or the like. In fact it may be used for recording stocks orquantities of any articles the size of which can be measured bycalipers.

What I claim is:-

1. In a registering tree caliper device, the combination of a rod-likemember, a plurality of independent counters carried side by side atmeasured intervals along said rod-like member, a movable arm extendingat right angles to said rod-like member, and having one end portionslidably mounted thereon, said arm being adapted to be moved intoposition against a tree, and a pair of parallel plungers carried by saidarm, positioned to actuate said counters when alined therewith bysliding movement of said arm, either of the same being operable toactuate any oi' said counters when alined therewith, said arm having anopening therethrough through which the counters passed over by said arm,as it moves into adjusted position, may be seen, and also having anidentifying mark adjacent to said opening, whereby the position of saidmark relative to adjacent counters may be noted, when said arm is inadjusted position, and either of said plungers then moved into alinementwith the nearest counter and operated, in accordance with the positionof said mark relative to said counters.

2. In a registering tree caliper device, the combination of a rod-likebase member, -a plurality of independent counters carried side by sidealong said base member, a movable arm extending at right angles to saidbase member and having one end portion thereof slidably mounted thereon,a total counter carried by said arm, a counter-actuating member carriedby said arm, adapted, on being alined with any of said independentcounters, to be pressed into operative connection therewith to oper-atethe same, and means contacted by said actuating member, on everyactuation thereof, to additionally operate said total counter.

3. In a registering tree caliper device, the combination of a hollowrod, a plurality of independent counters carried side by side withinsaid rod, said rod having openings through the shell thereof alined withsaid counters, a movable arm extending at right angles to said rod andhaving one end portion thereof slidably mounted thereon, a total countercarried by said arm, a counter actuating plunger carried by said armadapted, on being alined with any of said openings, to be pressed intooperative connection with the alined counter to operate the same, andmeans contacted by said plunger, on every actuation thereof, toadditionally operate said total counter.

4. In a registering tree caliper, the combination of a rod like member,a plurality of independent counters carried side by side along saidmember, a mov-able arm extending at right angles to said member andhaving an end portion slidably mounted thereon, a total counter carriedby said arm, an actuating plunger therefor carried by said arm, and twoparallel plungers carried by said arm adapted, on being alined with anyof said independent counters, to be pressed into operative connectiontherewith to operate the same, said plunger for actuating the totalcounter being positioned and adapted to be operated by actuation ofeither of said two parallel plungers.

ROBERT JAMES HINSON.

